Lily plant named ‘Sunny Bahamas’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Lily plant named ‘Sunny Bahamas’, characterized by its compact and upright plant habit; vigorous growth habit; densely-foliated habit; freely flowering habit; upright white-colored flower buds; white-colored flowers; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Lilium L.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Sunny Bahamas’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lily plant, commercially known as Oriental Hybrid Lily, botanically known as Lilium L., and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunny Bahamas’.

The new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new compact and dense potted Oriental Hybrid Lily plants with large flowers, attractive flower coloration and good postproduction longevity.

The new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant originated from a cross-pollination in 1998 of a proprietary selection of Lilium L. identified as code number OX-905P, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Lilium L. identified as code number POR W-GL, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within the resultant progeny of the cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands in July, 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant by bulb scales in a controlled greenhouse environment in Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands since November, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunny Bahamas’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunny Bahamas’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Oriental Hybrid Lily plant:

-   -   1. Compact and upright plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Densely-foliated habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Upright white-colored flower buds.     -   6. White-colored flowers.     -   7. Good postproduction longevity.

Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection primarily in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily are more compact than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily are more densely         foliated than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection primarily in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily have white-colored         flower buds whereas plants of the male parent selection have         green-colored flower buds.     -   2. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily have white-colored         flowers whereas plants of the male parent selection have light         yellow-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily can be compared to plants of Oriental Hybrid Lily ‘Souvenir’, not patented. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily differ from plants of ‘Souvenir’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily are more densely         foliated than plants of ‘Souvenir’.     -   2. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily have longer leaves         than plants of ‘Souvenir’.     -   3. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily and ‘Souvenir’ differ         in flower color as plants of ‘Souvenir’ have light pink-colored         flowers.

Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily can also be compared to plants of Oriental Hybrid Lily ‘Mona Lisa’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,379. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily differ from plants of ‘Mona Lisa’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily are more densely         foliated than plants of ‘Mona Lisa’.     -   2. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily flower later than         plants of ‘Mona Lisa’.     -   3. Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily and ‘Mona Lisa’ differ         in flower color as plants of ‘Mona Lisa’ have light pink-colored         flowers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily plant. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunny Bahamas’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants that were grown during the spring in a glass-covered greenhouse in Wieringerwerf, The Netherlands and under cultural conditions typically used in Oriental Hybrid Lily production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures were about 15° C., night temperatures were about 18° C. and light levels were about 6,000 lux. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were six months old when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Lilium L. ‘Sunny Bahamas’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Lilium L.             identified as code number OX-905P, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Lilium L.             identified as code number POR W-GL, not patented. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright flowering plant; single             erect flowering stem with a terminal cluster of upright             flowers; compact and dense plant habit; vigorous growth             habit.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of flowers.—About 25 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 22 cm.         -   Plant circumference.—About 70 cm.         -   Bulbs.—Diameter: About 10 cm to 20 cm. Texture: Smooth.             Color: Close to 155D.         -   Flowering stems.—Diameter: About 1 cm. Internode length:             About 1.5 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Close to 138B.         -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple; sessile. Quantity of             leaves per plant: About 35. Length, lower leaves: About             8.5 cm. Width, lower leaves: About 2.5 cm. Length, upper             leaves: About 13.5 cm. Width, upper leaves: About 3.5 cm.             Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Decurrent. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth;             leathery. Venation pattern: Parallel. Color: Developing and             fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 139A;             venation, close to 139A. Developing and fully expanded             leaves, lower surface: Close to 147A; venation, close to             147A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement.—Flowers umbellate.         -   Flower shape and aspect.—Flowers are funnel-shaped and when             fully opened, flatten and recurve towards the apex; flower             buds face upright and flowers face mostly upright.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit, large bulbs will             produce seven to ten flowers per flowering stem.         -   Fragrance.—Slightly fragrant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower in June and July in             The Netherlands. Plants can be flowered year-round in the             greenhouse and forced to bloom about 110 days after planting             bulbs.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Good postproduction longevity,             flowers last about 10 to 15 days on the plant; tepals not             persistent; gynoecium persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 8.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 cm.             Circumference: About 10 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Color: Close             to 155A; sutures, close to 4C.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 18 cm. Length (height): About             4 cm. Throat length: About 3 cm.         -   Perianth.—Quantity/arrangement: Six tepals per flower;             tepals imbricate. Tepal length, inner tepals: About 9.5 cm.             Tepal width, inner tepals: About 5 cm. Tepal length, outer             tepals: About 10 cm. Tepal width, outer tepals: About             3.5 cm. Tepal shape: Lanceolate. Tepal apex: Acute. Tepal             margin: Entire. Tepal texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Tepal color: When opening, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 155D. Fully opened, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 155D.         -   Pedicels.—Angle: About 45° to 70° from vertical. Strength:             Strong. Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 138B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About             six. Filament length: About 6.5 cm. Filament color: Close to             155C. Anther length: About 1.7 cm. Anther color: Close to             183B. Pollen color: Close to 169C. Pistils: Quantity per             flower: One. Pistil color: Close to 79A. Style length: About             7 cm. Style color: Towards the base, close to 145D; towards             the apex, close to 145A.         -   Fruits.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Color:             Close to 145A.         -   Seed produced.—No viable seeds observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Oriental Lilies has not been observed. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Oriental Hybrid Lily have     exhibited good tolerance to ram and wind and have been observed to     tolerate temperatures from about −2° C. to about 40° C. 

1. A new and distinct Lily plant named ‘Sunny Bahamas’ as illustrated and described. 